


As long as you're by my side

by WatchforWitches



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Awkward dinner conversations, Christmas fic, Giveaway fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 16:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9079999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatchforWitches/pseuds/WatchforWitches
Summary: Baz asks Simon to go home with him for Christmas, Simon agrees. Cue the awkward family questions!





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@satanicslushie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40satanicslushie).



> Written for @satanicslushie on Tumblr, I'm sorry I didn't have this finished for actual Christmas, But I hope you still enjoy it!

“Do you want to come home with me for Christmas?” Baz asked the question out of nowhere. It was a normal morning, the two were drinking coffee, getting ready for school and work. It wasn’t what Simon had been expecting. 

“What?” Simon said by way of reply, a lame plead for clarification, his head to groggy to process anything. 

“Christmas. It’s in a few weeks, and I have to go home to my family, so I just thought maybe you could come with me, so it doesn’t feel like such a nightmare.” Baz sounded certain, meeting Simon’s eyes over his coffee cup.

Simon remembered last Christmas, their first kiss, the struggles with Baz’s family, the Humdrum. It had been memorable, that much was for sure. “Are you sure? I could probably tag along with Penny, or just stay here. I don’t want to cause trouble with you and your family.”

Baz look at him incredulously, “You can’t stay here alone for Christmas Simon that sounds awful. I want you to come, my family can manage the expectations. My father has a son who wants his boyfriend over for Christmas, he needs to deal with it.” Baz took a drink, “And besides,” he spoke more softly now, “It’s our anniversary.” 

Simon couldn’t stop the smile that warmed his face at this. “Such a sap,” he grinned, blushing madly. “And okay. If you think everything will be alright, then I guess I will come.” 

“They won’t eat you alive Simon,” Baz grinned, “They aren’t the vampires now are they?”

Simon laughed at this, and everything felt right. When they first got together, Simon would have argued the joke, scolding Baz for talking of himself like that, assuming he was being self deprecating. Now Simon realized it was just a matter of fact, Baz was a vampire, and it made him even more gorgeously unique. “Alright,” Simon grabbed Baz’s hand from across the kitchen island and pulled him close to kiss him, “Can’t wait.”

-

The train ride to Baz’s family home was long because of all the stops, and busy with other people eager to get home for the holidays. Baz and I managed to find a seat and I managed to fall asleep in his arms within the first hour of the trip. 

“Si,” Baz nudged my arm, “Simon come on get up. Our stop is next.” I open my eyes blearily and look up at Baz. 

“Did I sleep the whole ride?” Baz laughs at me, musing musing my hair that must be standing up, my bed head is awful on a good day, even when that bed was just Baz’s shoulder for a few hours. 

“It’s alright, just get ready to move, our stop is next.” Baz squeezes my leg and smiles, putting my luggage in front of my feet. 

I feel my stomach lurch, I hadn’t been nervous for this, not all week, not a few hours ago. But for some reason now I feel nerves rising in my stomach, I am not scared of his family, not really, but I know none of them really like me, they didn’t like me before I started snogging their son and I can’t imagine that improved anything much. Baz seems to sense my mind working, because when we get off the train he grabs for my free hand and squeezes it softly. The nerves are there still, but when I look at Baz’s small smile I feel them fall away. 

-

Baz

I feel weird, walking back up to my home, knocking on the door feels out of place. The whole house had been redone, fixed up from last year’s incident with the Humdrum and Simon. I squeeze my palm to his after I knock on the door, unsure if I am attempting to comfort him or myself.

"Baz! Simon!" Daphne was all smiles when she appeared at the door. My father was behind her, smile plainly and waiting to help with our luggage. 

"Hello Basil," My dad greets smiling,and then looks to Simon with the same expression."Simon, welcome back." 

 

I smile back, starting safe, giving him the benefit of every one of my doubts. Simon smiles too, but his is open and real, there is nothing holding Simon's smile back. "Thank you sir," Simon shakes my dad’s hand, like a good guest. Like a good boyfriend. "Its nice to be back. I'm glad you were able to fix everything."

My dad’s smile shifts at this, and I push inside, eager to change the path of discussion. All my siblings are stood around the entry, various looks of excitement or happiness on their faces. I’ve never seen this much smiling in my home at once, it was a little overwhelming. “How was the trip?” Daphne asks, stepping back to make room for us.

“Good,” I say, smile coming back to my face, “This one slept the whole way over.” I nudge my shoulder to Simon. We weren’t holding hands anymore and I can’t remember when we let go. 

“So the train was really good then,” Simon picks up, never faltering, “I can usually sleep through a lot, but it was packed with people, even I was surprised I feel asleep.”

Everyone chuckles at this, polite and genuine sounding. “Well you boys should take your luggage to your room, dinner is in a few minutes so you can freshen up from your trip.” My dad sounds the same as he always has, but there is a happier tone in his still very polite and authoritative tone of voice. 

“Where should we take the bags sorry?” I ask again.

“Just your old room is fine,” he shrugs off. 

“All of it?” I question. So you aren’t going to make me and Simon sleep in different rooms is what I don’t say out loud, but what the question implies. 

“Yes,” my father says, “Unless you’d like to sleep outside,” he jokes, “Although the weather is not great so I would not recommend it.”

I laugh at this and grab my bags, heading up the stairs beside Simon before anyone can change their minds. “That went well,” he whispered to me on the way up the staircase, bumping my hip.

“Surprisingly so,” I whisper back, “But we haven’t had dinner yet, it’s only just begun.” I smile at him and raise my eyebrows, Get ready for the craziness is what I don’t say. 

-

I thought everything was going too well. Dinner was set out nicely on time, Simon and I managed to clean up and change into more formal attire, and no one had gone off. Even through the forced and awkward niceties of “How is school going”- fine, good actually- and “How is the weather been in London”- it’s been cold but nothing too bad, mild enough.

But left to their own devices, my siblings don’t have filters. To which one of the twins asked, “Simon what is it like dating a real vampire? Is Twilight actually realistic or is it as ad as everyone says?”

Simon- for his part- didn’t do much other than go red at this question, where as I choked on the wine that I had been drinking. 

Vampirism and queerness. My father’s two favorite topics of discussion in one. 

All the little kids looked at Simon patiently awaiting a response. “Well,” he started, stammering through his words, eyes focused on his plate, “I’ve never seen or read Twilight, but my roommate Penny tells me it’s rubbish. Baz doesn’t sparkle or anything like that. It’s not really different from dating anyone else, I guess?” He sounds hesitant, and I restrain from face palming as all my siblings giggle at the idea of me sparkling. 

I look at my father and he looks to be both amused and uncomfortable, which is better than the cold bitter expression he used to wear when these topics were brought up. “Isn’t it you anniversary soon?” This question comes from Daphne, and now I can’t tell if everyone is being serious or they are asking purposeful questions. 

“Tomorrow, actually,” Simon smiles and answers, because apparently I am too embarrassed to even say anything at this point. 

“Weren’t you dating that Wellbelove girl at Watford?” My father asks and I can see Simon tense up, and I look at my father, who looks innocent enough with the question. 

“Well I wouldn’t really call it dating,” Simon mumbles out, “Technically yes, but we only saw each other at school and we were only kids. It was never serious.” I take Simon’s hand under the table because I can feel his discomfort like a wave, and I know he’d always thought his past was serious. I can tell he is trying to evade all that the innocent question is really asking him. “I don’t think I ever really knew enough about love to say whether it was real.”

“Are you in love Baz?” Mordelia blurts out the question, accusatory but curious. I watch Simon’s entire face go bright red. We never discussed being in love. Sure we had said ‘love you’ a few times but never ‘I am in love with you.’ It was supposed to be implied, it was the kind of thing you saved for when you were sure. I was sure, I had been in love with Simon for years, but I hadn’t asked him, it was unfair, he’d never even thought about boys like that let alone me. Things happened slow, so I didn’t want to rush Simon by saying ‘I am in love with you’ knowing he would feel guilty if he didn’t say it back. I wanted to hear it, but only when he was sure it was true. 

“Mordelia! You can’t just ask people that!” I snap at her, and look at Simon, squeezing his hand under the table, a firm “you don’t have to respond to that” in code. 

“Of course,” Simon says anyways, happy and light sounding, and my heart skips a beat and Simon smiles, leaving it at that. 

Daphne gives Mordelia a look and my father swallows a mouthful of wine very slowly. “That’s so lovely to hear, I’m delighted Baz found someone, you two seem very happy,” he says afterwards, genuine sounding and I don’t know how much more my heart can take in one sitting. 

Luckily dinner only lasts another ten minutes before everyone is sent off to clean up for dessert.   
Simon

Baz is climbing the stairs two at a time, rushing into his room and I follow as close as possible. Loosening my tie as I go, worry and relief washing over me. Dinner had been an awkward disaster, and I just admitted to everyone in Baz’s family including Baz that I was in love with him. 

Which was definitely different from just loving him and I am worried what he will say. We get to his room finally and he closes the door, pacing around the small space. I sit on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. “Well,” I sigh, “That was something.”

“Crowley, I knew my family was awkward, but I need a few days recovery from all that.” Baz sighs heavy, stopping in the middle of the room to meet my eye, hand tangled in his hair. 

“It wasn’t that terrible,” I say, “Just relationship questions any family asks, intimidating the boyfriend is kind of step one isn’t it?” 

Baz just looks at me and shakes his head, hair falling around his face, “Still,” he says, “That was a bit much. I thought my heart was going to give out half way through, and then my dad going on about being happy for us-”

“That was sweet,” I point out, stopping his thoughts, “He is trying, maybe he’s turned over a new leaf, or whatever the saying is.” 

Baz just shrugs and I get up, walking to him and take his free hand, looking at him. I still have to look up a little, which Baz constantly teases me for, revenge for when I was taller in fifth year, he says. “Hey. It was not that bad. But I mean I didn’t plan to say, you know, what I said like that. I had hoped it would be a bit more romantic, and have a lot fewer Grimms involved.” 

Baz smiles at that, but looks at me seriously. “Did you mean it?” 

“Of course I did,” I say, serious now too. “How could I not be. Baz I am totally completely head over heels in love with you.”

He kisses me briefly and says, “Simon Snow I’ve been in love with you since I was 16. Totally and completely.”

I kiss him back now, smiling into his lips, holding his neck and tangling my fingers in his hair. He pulls back a little to breathe before taking my hands and saying, “You ready to head back into the lion’s den?” He nods his head out the door, back downstairs where we have to be in 5 minutes. 

“If you’ll come with me, always.” I say, smiling. Because it’s true, I would face any number of awkward encounters if Baz was with me, and I smile at him sweetly. Because I can’t help myself, because I would follow him anywhere, because I am hopelessly in love with him.

**Author's Note:**

> That was a weird and wild ride, but I hope you liked it! I kind of just wrote it as I went, so sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes, let me know if any are there! A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for anyone reading, here's to a great 2017 :)


End file.
